JAMES BOND GOES GLAMPING

New Defender 90 evokes everything we love about the original without any of the rough edges.

- Pawan Dhingara

This is Land Rover’s smallest, most capable, and possibly most anticipated car on sale with the weight of expectation, to merge evolution with tradition, walking a thin tightrope. This particular model on test is the Defender 90 D300 HSE X-Dynamic which despite being announced together with the larger 110, only arrived in South Africa several months later. Its arrival adds even more variety to Land Rover’s luxury off-road offerings which remains in good health thanks to models like the Discovery and Discovery Sport.

However it is the Defender that molded the brand into what it is today; its qualified and famous off-road credentials contributed to sectors such as medical, farming, research, conservation, charity, military, and philanthropy – in fact, the Defender is such an iconic name that it probably deserves a medal for long service.

Despite a clean-sheet design, the Defender is keen to write more chapters to its own coffee table book. As you would expect, there are common design cues borrowed from the 110, and its tall appearance is slightly exaggerated by the wheelbase which has been shortened by 435mm. Approach and departure angles are the same as the 110 – 38 degrees at the front and 40 degrees at the rear, which is to say excellent.

Angular styling echoes the old Defender but the build quality is tight and crisp with aggressive-looking rubber and plenty of ground clearance, even with the optional air suspension set to Normal. Small (Alpine) windows in the roof ape the original, as does the rear-mounted spare wheel. The doors close with the reassuring seal of a vehicle capable of wading 900mm, and happy to have its electronics submerged in water for over an hour. Needless to say, overall build quality is tremendously satisfying to use and practical.